19 - MINE

I threw my car door open and stepped out onto the cracked concrete before David could strike the passenger window again.

"Lock the doors right now and do not open them for anyone," I ordered Alexandra while keeping my voice steady to help her stay calm.

I pushed the heavy metal door shut behind me, and the loud click of the automatic locks confirmed she was sealed safely inside the bulletproof cabin.

The cold Chicago wind hit my face the second my dress shoes touched the dirty street, but the freezing temperature did nothing to cool the boiling rage inside my chest.

I stood up to my full height and stared at the pathetic man who was still screaming vile insults through the tinted glass of my luxury vehicle.

David raised his dirty fists to pound on the window again, so I decided it was time to redirect his drunken attention away from the woman I loved.

I did not rush around the front bumper or shout angry threats because I wanted him to see exactly how little I respected him.

I walked around the hood of the Maybach with slow, deliberate steps while keeping my gray eyes locked on his hunched shoulders.

To show my absolute disdain for the threat he presented, I raised my hands and calmly buttoned the center button of my tailored suit jacket.

The soft rustle of my expensive clothing was the only sound I focused on while the busy city traffic moved slowly down the next block.

David finally stopped hitting the glass when he heard my footsteps approaching him from behind.

He turned around slowly on his worn-out sneakers, and his bloodshot eyes widened with shock when he realized the billionaire CEO was standing right in front of him.

He reeked of cheap alcohol mixed with stale sweat, and the foul odor made my upper lip curl into a sneer of pure disgust.

"Y-you," David stammered out while wiping a trail of spittle from his unshaven chin with the back of his trembling hand.

He took a sloppy step backward and bumped his hip hard against the side mirror of the Maybach.

"What the f*** are you doing in my neighborhood?" he demanded in a slurred, uneven voice while trying to stand up straight.

I stopped walking when I was exactly three feet away from him, leaving just enough space to react if he decided to do something stupid.

"I came here to collect Alexandra's belongings so she never has to look at your miserable face again," I answered in a low, lethal tone.

David let out a harsh, bitter laugh that echoed off the brick walls of the rundown apartment building.

"She belongs with me, and you have no right to come down here and steal my life!" he shouted while pointing a shaking finger directly at my chest.

I kept my hands relaxed at my sides and stared down at him with zero sympathy for his current situation.

"She does not belong to anyone, but she chose to leave you because you are a weak coward who tears down women to feel strong," I replied smoothly.

The truth of my words hit him hard, and his flushed face turned a much darker shade of angry red.

He looked past my shoulder at the tinted passenger window where Alexandra was hiding, and his jaw clenched with jealous fury.

"You think you are so much better than me just because you wear a fancy suit and drive a nice car," David spat out while taking a sudden step forward.

"I know I am better than you because I would never insult the woman who trusted me to protect her," I countered without raising my voice.

David ground his teeth together, and the smell of the cheap liquor grew stronger as he breathed heavily through his nose.

"I got fired today because of you, and no financial firm in the entire city will even return my phone calls!" he screamed while throwing his arms out in exasperation.

"I ordered my executive team to blacklist your name this morning because I promised myself I would ruin the career of the man who hurt her," I admitted freely to his face.

I wanted him to know that I was the architect of his destruction, and I wanted him to understand that his actions had permanent consequences.

David stared at me with wide eyes as his drunken brain finally processed the harsh reality of his ruined future.

"You are a f***ing monster, and I am going to make you pay for ruining my life!" he roared while saliva flew from his lips.

He shifted his weight clumsily onto his back foot and pulled his right arm back to deliver a punch to my face.

His movements were sloppy and broadcasted his intentions seconds before he actually threw the strike.

I did not flinch or take a step back when his fist came swinging wildly toward my jaw.

I simply raised my left hand and caught his incoming fist effortlessly in the center of my palm.

The loud smack of his knuckles hitting my hand stopped his momentum instantly, and a look of pure confusion washed over his angry features.

He tried to pull his arm away from my grip, but I clamped my fingers down around his wrist with crushing force.

"L-let go of me, you crazy rich bastard!" he cursed while using his free hand to push against my shoulder.

I ignored his weak attempt to push me away and tightened my grip on his arm until he let out a sharp gasp of pain.

"I do not tolerate men who raise their hands in anger, especially when they think they can intimidate people who are smaller than them," I warned him in a harsh whisper.

I twisted his trapped arm sharply to the right, forcing his elbow to bend at an awkward and highly painful angle.

David let out a loud yelp and dropped to his knees on the dirty concrete to relieve the agonizing pressure in his shoulder.

His dirty jeans soaked up the dark puddle of spilled alcohol on the sidewalk, but I refused to let go of his arm.

"Please, s-stop, you are hurting me!" he whined while tears of pain welled up in his bloodshot eyes.

"You hurt her every single day for three years with your toxic words, so you are going to feel a fraction of that pain right now," I growled while glaring down at his pathetic, kneeling form.

I gripped his forearm with my right hand to hold his limb perfectly still, and I applied a sudden, violent twist to his trapped wrist.

A sickening, loud crack echoed over the noisy street as the bones in his wrist snapped under the brutal pressure.

David threw his head back and let out a deafening scream of pure, unfiltered agony that pierced the gloomy afternoon air.

I released my grip on his broken hand, and he collapsed forward onto the sidewalk while cradling his injured arm against his chest.

He sobbed loudly into the concrete, leaving a trail of snot and tears on the dirty pavement where he belonged.

I adjusted the cuffs of my suit jacket and looked down at him with eyes as cold as a winter storm.

I stepped closer until the toe of my expensive leather shoe was resting right next to his crying face.

I crouched down slightly so I could deliver my final message without having to shout over the passing traffic.

David tried to scramble backward away from me, but the pain in his broken wrist kept him pinned to the ground.

I leaned directly into his ear, making sure my deep voice was the only thing he could hear over his own pathetic sobbing.

"I warned you she was mine, and if you ever breathe near her again, I will fucking bury you."